Ten positions to be filled

Wave energy company Aquamarine Power has launched a recruitment drive to support the next phase of developing their Oyster wave energy technology.

The Edinburgh firm, which is currently testing its Oyster 800 full-scale wave machine at the European Marine Energy Centre in Orkney, is seeking eight experienced engineers to join their core engineering, design and project team, together with an operations technician based in Orkney and a research fellow to work at the company’s academic base in Queen’s University Belfast.

“These are exciting times for our company,” says company Chief Executive Officer Martin McAdam. “This summer we went through an extensive refit of our Oyster 800 machine which has yielded very positive results and we are now looking to further improve the machine’s reliability and durability, and begin the design of our next-generation Oyster 801.

“To do this we need skilled, experienced engineers to join what is already a tremendously enthusiastic and talented team. We have made no secret of the challenges involved in making machines that can harness the enormous power in ocean waves, and what we need now are technically strong individuals who can bring experience from other fields to help us in our quest.

“Each job offers a genuine opportunity to make a difference and change forever the way our future energy is made,” McAdam concludes.

In addition to their test site at EMEC in Orkney, the Edinburgh firm has gained all consents to develop a 40MW wave farm off the Isles of Lewis, which would require up to 50 Oyster wave energy machines.

All jobs are permanent positions and come with a package of benefits including company pension and healthcare.

Aquamarine Power’s backers include electricity utility SSE and ABB, one of the world’s largest power and automation companies.

About Aquamarine Power

Aquamarine Power’s Oyster wave power technology captures energy in near-shore waves and converts it into clean sustainable electricity. In simple terms, Oyster is a wave-powered pump which pushes high pressure water to drive a conventional onshore hydro-electric turbine.

Aquamarine Power’s shareholders include the UK’s leading generator of renewable electricity SSE (Scottish and Southern Energy), global power and automation company ABB and Scottish Enterprise, the Scottish Government’s enterprise agency.